A Memorable Summer 一個難忘的暑假
At school, I am part of a club called Friends Inc. where we eat lunch once a month with students with mental and physical disabilities (名詞:身體有障礙的), I try to smile and to pretend (動詞:假裝) that I am not scared (形容詞:感到驚慌,恐懼) to talk to them during these lunches, but in my mind I knew I was. I was scared of the unfamiliar (名詞:不熟悉的,不了解) Then this summer I went to two different places in Taiwan:the Bethany Home and the Onesiphorus Children’s Home. Both very different but taught me the same lessons.
As soon as I got to the Bethany Home, a children home for mental(形容詞:精神上,智力上) and physical disabilities, immediately (副詞:立刻,馬上) felt scared-unsafe. The first night we were there we hosted Happy Night where we play games and tried keep them entertained (動詞:招待,讓人快樂) for an hour and a half. It was such a success that they asked us to do it for two more nights. The first night taught me about supporting one another: the kids kept on saying add oil – to encourage each other to finish the race- I believe that they liked saying that more than doing the relay races (名詞:接力賽).
Also this night, overcame (動詞:克服) this “scared” mindset (名詞:心態) I had about people were not the same as myself. I remember that moment I went out to the crowd of people and offered my hand to a girl to bring her up to play game, seeing her smile and made me realizing their innocence (名詞:單純) and love for others, made me fall in love with them. I never wanted to leave.
In the orphanage, I saw how different these kids acted from the people in the Bethany Home. These kids were guarded (形容詞:謹慎的,有保留的,提防的) off and didn’t trust us. They never hugged or held our hands. We later learned that the government forces them to live there because of family problems. It was foster care (名詞:寄養,收容). But once I spent time with the kids and showed them I truly cared, they started to open up, hold my hand and even hug me!
And one morning the kids thought that class started at 8 am and once it was 8:10 they ran up the stairs to where we lived and said Teacher Sabrina where are you?!? And I told them that class started at 9. But they were ready and excited to learn. That was best morning surprise ever.
Their passion to learn taught me to be grateful to be able to receive an education every day because there are kids who want to learn but can’t. I will always remember what my student Adam said to me. He’s 9 years old and very smart for his age – he told me that one day will come to America to find a job and he’ll come see me.
Both experiences taught me how God truly watches over his children.When the gas explosion (名詞:爆炸) in Kaohsiung occurred (動詞:發生), we were staying in the city and lucky we were not affected at all. In the midst of multiple (形容詞:多次) rainstorm (名詞:暴風雨)warnings (名詞:警告) we had, but it never rained until we were either sheltered or on the bus.
This trip has taught me to be mature and responsible and an invaluable (形容詞:極有價值) lesson of appreciation: for air condition, for school, and for my loving and caring family.
在學校，我參加了一個叫做「朋友團」的組織。每個月我們都會跟一些智障和殘障的同學吃午飯。每次吃飯的時候，我會嘗試面帶笑容，假裝鎮定地跟他們交談，可是，心底裡，對於這群跟自己不一樣的學生，我實在害怕。
這個暑假，我去了台灣的伯大尼和阿尼色弗兒童之家兩個不同的地方。兩個地方都讓我學到同一們功課。
在伯大尼，我們要跟一群智障和殘障的孩子相處。一到達，我就驚慌起來，心理有點不踏實。第一個晚上，我們要帶領一個歡樂晚會。主要是跟孩子玩遊戲，為他們提供個半小時的節目。因為很成功，院方邀請我們多帶兩個晚上。第一個晚上，讓我學習到彼此支持的重要性。孩子們不斷用「加油！加油！」這句話來鼓勵隊友，完成比賽。我相信他們喜歡當啦啦隊，多過喜歡參加比賽。
那個晚上，透過遊戲，我克服了因為要面對跟自己不同的人而產生的那份恐懼感。我還記得，當我走進人群，用手拉著一個女孩子出來玩的那一刻，她那純真、充滿愛的笑容，讓我深深愛上了她。我真的不想離開。
在阿尼色弗孤兒院，我遇到一群跟伯大尼完全不同的孩子。他們的保衛意識非常強，一點也不信任我們。他們不願意跟我們擁抱，也不願意拉我們的手。後來我們才知道，他們都是因為家庭問題而被政府強迫住到這裡來的。這裡是他們的庇護所。但，相處久了，我們真誠的關懷，終於打動了他們。他們不但會主動地拉著我的手，甚至會主動的擁抱我！
一個早上，孩子們以為是八點鐘上課，所以，過了十分鐘，他們便跑上樓梯到宿舍來找我們，大聲地問：「Sabrina老師在那裡？」我告訴他們九點鐘才開始上課，可是，他們已經等不及了，他們非常好學。這個早上來的驚喜，實在太美妙了！
他們對學習的熱情，讓我學會珍惜每一天、每一個我能接受教育的機會。因為這些孩子想要學，卻沒有機會。我永遠都會記得一個名叫亞當的學生跟我所說的話，他雖然只有9歲，但非常聰明。 他說將來有一天，他會去美國找工作，到時他一定會來找我。
此外，整個旅程，讓我經歷到神的看顧。高雄巿發生了大氣爆炸的那個晚上，雖然我們是住在城市裡，卻絲亳沒有受損；雖然聽到連日的暴雨警告，但我們從末受影響，因為每次下雨，我們不是在室內，就是在公巴士上。
這個旅程讓我變得更成熟和更有責任心，也學會了感恩這門價值不菲的功課：為冷氣機、為學校、為愛我及關心我的家庭而感恩！
◎ Sabrina, 11th grade ◎ 翻譯：秦黃業玲
At school, I am part of a club called Friends Inc. where we eat lunch once a month with students with mental and physical disabilities (名詞:身體有障礙的), I try to smile and to pretend (動詞:假裝) that I am not scared (形容詞:感到驚慌,恐懼) to talk to them during these lunches, but in my mind I knew I was. I was scared of the unfamiliar (名詞:不熟悉的,不了解) Then this summer I went to two different places in Taiwan:the Bethany Home and the Onesiphorus Children’s Home. Both very different but taught me the same lessons.